Saturday, October 30, 2010

Okay it took me a little longer than I thought it would but the first coat of paint is on.

I think I did a good job at trying to match the colors. I still have to apply the second coat and the directions say I need to wait eight hours in between coats. I think I'm going to see what happens at the six hour mark. I still have to paint the back of the steps white. I also just read that I'm going to have to keep everyone off the stairs for twenty four hours. I so wish I would have done this last night. Oh well.

You can see all of the dings in the steps and I didn't sand all of the paint off. I only sanded where chunks of wood were missing and where paint was flaking. I'm really hoping the second coat will bring it all together.It's also a good thing that I have two sets of stairs. I'll take more pictures later after the next coat goes on. I really wish I could take a nap right now but I have so much clean up that it will take me until tomorrow to get everything done that I want to do. So I'll sigh off and talk to you later.

I've finally finished sanding the stairs. I started a week ago doing it by hand but since Dave and the kids are out of town for the weekend I moved up to a sander.

But because I'm a dingbat I didn't take anything out of the hallway. My mom's in heaven right now and her head is spinning like something from a horror movie.

Sometimes I do these things and just don't think it through.

I didn't even shut the doors going into the other rooms and so my mess spread everywhere. The only good part about it is the rest of the family won't be home until tomorrow afternoon.

I'm almost ready to put the first coat of paint on. I had to fill in a few spots and when they're dry I'll give them a quick sand, vacuum and a wipe. Then I'll paint. My goal is to have the first coat on by 1pm so I can do the second coat today. My stomach already has butterflies about the paint color. The color scares me, when I saw the paint sample wet it looked purple, now it just looks dark.I'll take pictures after the first coat and post them and you can chew your nails with me. Until then I'm going to guzzle some more coffee and get to work.

Friday, October 29, 2010

We've had a beautiful fall this year. I know I've said that already but I'm saying it again. Just like our summer, perfect. Now that the cold weather is starting to set in and I'm in the house wondering if I should turn the heat up, I have a little bit of time for reflection. Okay, a lot of time for reflection since it's like pulling teeth to get me outside when it's cold.

Over the past month Dane and I have been going to work with Dave one or two days a week. He let's me know where he's going and if he's heading to the coast or the mountains Dane and I ride with him. After I pop a few dramine and put on my wrist bands.
A few weeks ago we went to Mt. Desert Island. While Dave worked, Dane and I picnicked (is that spelled correctly) and played. It was on a week day so no one was really around. We has such a nice time playing and throwing rocks into the water. I've been trying to teach Dane to skip rocks but it's not working out well.
We also went to Jonesport and visited some friends. I forgot my camera that day and I was crushed. For some reason I always seem to forget my camera when I go there. Our friends live right on the beach in a little cape that was moved to the location it's in now during the early 1800's. They moved there on big raft across the ocean. I can't even descibe the views she just takes for granted. Of course if she wants to go shopping she has to drive two hours on old roads just to get to Bangor. So while I envy her, I just don't envy too much.

You know the funny thing? When I moved from Maine many years ago I said I would never come back and I didn't care if I ever saw a tree, leaf, hill or mountain ever again. And here I am, loving every minute of it.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Dane and I visited the riber down back today. (For some reason Dane changes V's to B's) We hadn't been out back in quite awhile and when he ran down the path he almost ran straight into the water! As he skidded to a stop he demanded to know where all of his big rocks went! We've had some heavy rain and the river has risen considerably.

So instead of finding rocks to chuck into the water Dane found sticks. We spent a long time throwing stuff in the water. I don't know if he'll ever tire of it. A few times I thought I was going to have to fish him out but thankfully he only got his pants and feet wet.

He always goes for the biggest stick he can find. That's how he ends up in the water. I can never get pictures of that part because every time he'd start to slide in the water I'd set my camera down and start after him.

It's a beautiful day today, it's almost seventy outside. One more perfect day before the cold sets in. One last day a little boy gets to pull off his pants and shoes and run barefoot through the grass.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

My beautiful girl on the morning of her birthday. She was out of bed by six because she just couldn't wait another minute. I really love this picture. She rarely let's me take her picture but she did here. I took a whole bunch of them because she let me.For her birthday her daddy drove her to school as a special treat. Later in the day I brought in kitty cat cupcakes that we made for her class. It's been a long time since I've seen this kid look so happy and carefree. I wanted to bottle it. This past few years has really taken the child out of her. We've really been working hard at bringing her life around.

See the joy of opening the BEST PRESENT EVER!!!!

This guy here is responsible for that. He gave her his Nintendo DS. She didn't care that it wasn't the newest one or that it was used.Kadie and I bought her a bunch of used games to go with it. She is a very happy girl.

Since we are REALLY sick of birthday cake......We just had a small one. There's just enough left for me to send to the neighbors house for them to have with their lunch. I think next year we're going to combine all the parties into one and call it good.I don't want to see another birthday cake until we bake one for Jesus birthday.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Yesterday I finally made time to take the kids to pick out pumpkins. We set up at the kitchen table to gut our pumpkin friends. I swear it get harder and harder every year for me to stick my hand in and touch that slime. This was Dane's first pumpkin that he got to help with. He was so proud of himself. I swear I love that kid so much. He just makes my heart swell.

Mimi didn't want any help but did let me explain to her that it was hard for her to cut because her knife was upside down. See the green glass next to Mimi? It's full of grasshopper made with ice cream. I had three of them yesterday afternoon. I really was happy that Mimi didn't cut herself seeing as her mum was half drunk.

She did an awesome job carving out her friend. Usually we get a knife slip and our pumpkins look deformed. Not that it would matter I guess.

Chrissy decided to go with a pattern and it came out quite well. I swear her pumpkin had more guts than all of the others combined. She scraped and pulled for twenty minutes before I gave in and helped her.
We had a nice afternoon. While we were carving Dave was making apple pies. He used a Paula Dean recipe and the pie was FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!
Today we are hanging out cleaning up some and I'm getting ready to put a beef stew on. I'm hoping to get some energy up and start doing something with the stairs. I was going to put them off till tomorrow but the girls have to go to the orthodontist in the morning so that pretty much blows our day. If you don't hear from me until Wednesday you know I got the stick out of my arse and started getting some work done!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Yesterday I had planned a huge cleaning day and I was well under way by 10:30. After all I had been up since 4:45. I was even almost done the huge mountain of laundry. I just had one bedspread and three loads of towels to wash when I realized I wasn't going to have enough laundry soap. Crap.

So I put some shoes on the Danester and told him we were going over town to the store. Side note: Over town is when you live in town and are running over to the local store or post office etc. To town is getting on the interstate. Very important to know this when you live here in Cow town. Anyway, Dane started in saying he didn't want to go and we shouldn't walk we should drive. Since it was a lovely day I told him we'll walk and it will make him feel good to get out in the sun.That was when he told me his tummy had a sore throat. I made him walk anyway.By the time we got to the store I knew we should have driven. He was crying pathetically. I grabbed some laundry soap and we started heading for home. I couldn't carry him because I thought if I made his tummy bumpy he might get sick. I just held his little hand and walked him as fast as I could. We made it to the bridge so we were almost home. I was in the middle of telling him what a good, big boy he was and when again he said his tummy had a sore throat and vomited. We didn't miss a beat. I grabbed a tissue from my pocket wiped his face and kept walking him. The whole time telling him what a big boy he was and we were almost home. Poor little lamb. He was so sick all afternoon. It was a good thing I bought more laundry soap.....The moral of the story is: When your child tells you his tummy has a sore throat it really means I'm going to blow chunks.

Right now Dane is hanging with his bff Trapper and begging me to let him watch Iron Man. Let's hope the day brings no more sore throats.

PS My neighbor just called and told me she was walking over town to the post offive and some beast had puked on the bridge!!!!!! OMG I can't stop laughing!!!!! I didn't tell her it was Dane! I guess I should have went back with a bucket of water.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Kadie's birthday was last week and we couldn't get together until the weekend. As soon as she walked into the house she was bopping up and down like a little kid wanting to open her gifts. She's just like her mom. She loves to give gifts and get gifts. (I seriously counted Christmas gifts until I was thirty.)

I'm going to HUFF and PUFF and BLOW YOUR HOUSE DOWN! hee hee. I can't believe my first born is twenty three. She was the most darling little baby. I still have a tiny pair of leather high tops that I used to shove on her feet. They were pink and blue with rainbow hearts.

Never drink a couple glasses of wine and THEN try to blow out a bunch of candles. Though it makes great pictures. That also goes with don't drink half a bottle of wine and think your going to take great pictures.

We had major cleanup after. Every counter space was full of dirty dishes, even the table in the kitchen. Do you see the bottles of booze on the left? When I finished cleaning the kitchen and the big kid left and the little kids were all tucked in.... Dave made me a grasshopper. It was a great (and delicious) end to a wonderful day.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Okay, I'll come clean with you. I should have had this project finished up a few weeks ago but I've been dragging arse. As usual I've been procrastinating. This had been a real bitch of a job. The trim work alone is taking forever and the ceilings... Forget about it! The ceilings are painted a bright white semi gloss from Sherwin Williams and the walls are a Butter Cookie from Sherwin Williams. The trim an even whiter white but I can't be bothered to remember any more names. There has been some repair work also. If you look at the trim to the right of the ladder you'll see the brown splotch. That piece of board was all messed up at that end (why they would use it is beyond me) so I had to fill it in. Once you put on a thin layer you have to wait an hour and do another thin layer. I waited a week in between layers to make sure it was good and hard. Hee hee I said hard. I still have a final coat of paint on that part of the trim. The stairs still have to be stripped and painted. I'm painting them a colour (yet to be decided upon) to match as close to the railing as I can. The back splash on the stairs will be white also.

I wanted you to see how high the ceiling is here in the stairway. My father in law painted the ceiling and walls here. It was ugly. We used that ladder and a step ladder balanced on the last step and the top of the stairs and put a long piece of wood between them.

I had to use the same thing to paint the trim around the window. I tell you it was some scary. I also am going to replace the lights in the hall. I was thinking about black sconces. Also when I was out and about I found a huge (I mean HUGE) black trimmed picture frame that I think would look awesome on that back wall. I didn't buy it yet but I think I'm going to.

Here is the view of another part of the hall. It has a curved wall and I desperately need help decorating it. I haven't a clue what to do with it. Any ideas? PLEASE!?

Saturday, October 16, 2010

I haven't been around much lately. We've been busy trying to get some stuff done around the house before winter. One thing I have been working on is this hall. It's been kicking my ass but I almost done. Pictures to come soon! Have a wonderful fall weekend.
Melissa

Sunday, October 10, 2010

My girl turned 12 the other day. It seems like it was just yesterday she was a baby.
It had been such a wild week with Chrissy being sick and activities going on that I hadn't got a chance to run out and buy her any gifts. The girls had off Thursday, Friday so Friday morning Mimi and I left Dane with Christina and went shopping. We were gone most of the day and we may have bought stuff for ourselves too. Not just stuff for the birthday girl. Marian will never tell. She knows a good thing when it's happening. When we made it back to the house we had to bribe a very anxious birthday girl to go upstairs while we wrapped her gifts. Then the hard part came. She had to wait until daddy got home before she could open anything. Once he got home the kids all assumed the birthday gift unwrapping position. I wonder how much weight it will hold?

I hunted for just the right gifts for my newly twelve year old and her favorite gift was from Mimi. Fake fingernails. AGH!!!!!!!
Since Kadie couldn't be with us on Chrissy's birthday we had a dinner the next night and had her cake and ice cream. (We also had ribs that were yummmmmmmmyyyyyyy) But before the dinner Chrissy opened the presents Kadie got her and her gift trumped all of ours.

A pair of gen U wine EMU sheepskin boots. You couldn't have seen a more excited kid!. I personally think they are ugly but I've been told I have old taste.....

Of course she couldn't wait to apply her fingernails and she has already lost most of them but they were fun while they lasted.

About Me

I'm Melissa, the one who spells things wrong even though I use spell check. ( I secretly pell things wrong now so my brother-in-law has something to talk to my husband about.) So stop on buy and I'll promise to drive you Krazy two!